Our values

These values serve as TGEU’s guiding principles and are the foundation of our work towards achieving our vision, including our actions, procedures, and decision-making processes.

Values statement

We endeavour to build an atmosphere of kindness, trust, safety, appreciation, and cooperation, and emphasise celebrating the resilience and diversity within our communities. Our overarching aim is having the direction of our work set by people directly affected by the issues at hand.

Community Involvement

We strive to maintain and strengthen our linkages to trans communities to identify collectively our common goals and advocate for the solutions cooperatively. We
seek to ensure they are included and consulted through our actions.

Intersectional approach

We believe that working for the liberation of people in the margins is key to the liberation of all. We therefore aim to center these experiences through our approach of work and structures.

Decolonial approach

We acknowledge that our organisation is based in Western Europe and attempt to examine, unlearn, challenge and reimagine West-centric political perspectives and cultures in our work.

Culture of reflection

We strive for a stimulating environment that welcomes different thoughts, critical analysis and gives room for innovative ideas with time to review and evaluate our processes thoughtfully.

Wellbeing focus

We aim to put back the human into human rights activism to ensure the wellbeing and sustainability of those involved in our work and the communities we work in, with and for.

Community Involvement

We place community involvement at the core of our movements: we work in the community – with the community – for the community to improve the situation of trans people in Europe, Central Asia and other regions of the world. We strive to maintain and strengthen our linkages to trans communities in order to identify collectively our common goals and advocate for the solutions cooperatively. We seek to ensure they are included, consulted and given a voice while increasing resources present in communities through our actions. The ultimate measure of our impact being the improvement of the lives of individuals and the communities they are part of.

Intersectional approach

Intersectionality is a key approach in our decision-making processes and actions. This means we consider the historical, social and political context in order to create processes and practices that reflect and act upon different forms of oppression and discrimination. We believe that working for the liberation of people in the margins is key to the liberation of all. We therefore aim to center these experiences by increasing representation and empowerment of the most marginalised groups within our structures and approach of work.

Decolonial approach

We acknowledge that our organisation is based in Western Europe and continuously reflect on the position of TGEU in the Western European context and the power dynamics arising from this. We attempt to examine, unlearn, challenge and reimagine West-centric theoretical and political perspectives, cultures and discourses in our work with organisations, collectives, communities, and individuals.

Culture of reflection

We emphasise investing in reflective processes that include constant questioning, listening, learning and sharing. We strive for a stimulating environment that welcomes different thoughts, appreciates critical analysis and gives room for innovative ideas, creativity with time to review and evaluate our decisions, actions, structures, and processes thoughtfully.

Wellbeing focus

We aim to ensure the wellbeing and sustainability of those involved in our work and the communities we work in, with and for. We acknowledge the emotional and mental stress that oppression and injustice cause, and, therefore, reaffirm our commitment to self-care and collective wellbeing.

We endeavour to build an atmosphere of kindness, trust, safety, appreciation, and cooperation, and emphasise celebrating the resilience and diversity within our communities. It’s with Boglarka Fedorko in mind, our former colleague and friend who originally drafted these values, that we are publishing them today as foundation of our work (approved by our SC on November 18, 2018).